What a day for job tryouts! (copy)

Monday

Oct 28, 2013 at 12:01 AM

One year after Hurricane Sandy, many recall where they were and what they endured. Some continue to repair their homes and restore their lives. While nothing compares to the devastation many faced, two people scheduled for job interviews were swept into the mix. I was one of them.

• • •

I felt horrible. I was trying to get a job and people were trying to repair their lives, one broken branch at a time.

I was one of two candidates interviewing for two staff photographer positions with Calkins Media, the parent company of the Bucks County Courier Times, the Burlington County Times and The Intelligencer. As part of the interview, we were directed to cover the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

I found myself walking through the Thornridge neighborhood in Falls documenting the destruction and cleanup efforts.

It was a sunny afternoon, with an autumn chill in the air. It was mostly quiet, except for the buzzing of chainsaws cutting through fresh wood. Emotions were high for some residents who were outside their homes.

I saw houses that were unscathed and others that had been destroyed by massive trees. The power was out in the whole neighborhood, and the people who hadn't evacuated were busy trying to remove trees and debris from roads, yards and homes.

Just about 24 hours before, I was home in Columbia, Mo., teaching multimedia journalism at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. I was excited when I received an email requesting an in-person interview as a followup to the resumé I had submitted.

My original interview date was set in the thick of Hurricane Sandy.

The person interviewing for the other staff earned her journalism degree from Penn State University. She was living in Downington and was busy applying for newspaper jobs when she was asked to interview.

Living about an hour away, Elmer said she didn't think driving would be much of an issue. However, as weather reports were coming in, it wasn't just heavy rain in the forecast. Damaging winds, power outages and fallen trees were also predicted.

Elmer was concerned about canceling or not making it in, since this was her first job interview. I was worried, too. My flight --? as well as all flights in or out of the East Coast ?-- was canceled. Elmer and I were both forced to reschedule our interviews.

I flew out of St. Louis on Nov. 1. While on the runway, the airplane malfunctioned and we had to turn back. People were in tears, trying to get home after being stuck in the airport for days.

Selfishly, I was near tears because I thought I was going to miss my interview again.

Finally, after hours in airports, on planes and getting lost while driving, I made it to the Bucks County Courier Times building in Tullytown on Nov. 2.

As soon as I arrived, Photo Editor Richard Kennedy announced that, as part of my interview, I'd be heading out to one of the neighborhoods hit hard by Hurricane Sandy.

Elmer interviewed a few days later and was given the same instructions. She visited the Oaktree neighborhood in Bristol Township.

She showed up for the interview in a suit, but did have a change of clothes in her car. So, in jeans, sneakers, a dress shirt and blazer, Elmer set out to cover the impact the hurricane had on the local community.

As journalists, it's our job to tell everything -- from lighthearted stories to the difficult ones. We see people at their best and worst. It's our duty to inform the community and document events as thoroughly and emphatically as possible. And still, this doesn't make covering stories like the impact of Hurricane Sandy any easier to do.

?You're asking to photograph people and have them speak on video camera about their destroyed homes, and it's sad,? Elmer said. ?You're going to walk away at the end of the day and go home -- and many of these people can't walk away. They have to do all this work to fix their homes.?

I was chased off a property or two, but, overall, people were welcoming and willing to share their stories.

What struck me the most was that I was able to witness a community coming together in the face of such devastation.

When I talked with Thornridge resident Marianne Dooley, she described how even people who don't normally talk to each other had been lending helping hands. ?It's those little acts of kindness that come out of places and people you don't expect that almost sprinkle a light dusting of sugar over such an awful tasting mess of life,? Dooley said.

Resident Kyle Irvine described how people were giving away ice on street corners and how stores such as the Home Depot were giving away supplies because their registers were down and people really needed what they were buying. ?It's been kind of heartwarming,? he said.

Back at the newspaper, I edited and submitted my video and photographs. Realizing I hadn't eaten in several hours, Kennedy took me out for dinner.

The power was still out at most local restaurants, so Popeye's Chicken, across Route 13 from the Courier Times, took the prize as being my very first meal in Bucks County.

The entire day felt like a blur. After more than eight hours of work and interviews, I was exhausted, exhilarated and had a bit of heartburn from Louisiana's deep fried goodness.

Elmer and I were both hired shortly after our interviews and tryouts. We've both covered plenty of local breaking news and weather-related stories since then, but nothing as severe and unique as Hurricane Sandy.

Stephanie Veto: sveto@calkins.com

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